Karl Stefanovic’s son breaks silence over parents’ bitter split

It’s been one of the most talked about divorces in Australian media and Karl Stefanovic’s son Jackson has finally broken his silence about his parents’ bitter split.

It was widely rumoured last year that the former Today show host and his son were estranged following Karl’s public divorce from his ex-wife, and Jackson’s mother, journalist Cassandra Thorburn.

Now in an interview with Woman’s Day, published on Monday, the 19-year-old said: “My mother is the most extraordinary person, and what she has weathered these past few years, no one deserves the backlash.”

He continued: “To watch my parents’ private lives play out so publicly was incredibly destructive for all of us – someone had to step up and protect her, and I knew that person was me.”

Karl tied the knot with shoe designer Jasmine Yarbrough in a lavish ceremony in Mexico in December last year. While his three children didn’t attend the wedding, the kids did travel over to Mexico at the same time as the ceremony, but stayed away from the celebrations on the big day.

“Despite what’s happened, he’s still my dad,” Jackson added. “I’ll leave it there for now – who knows what happens next.”

Read more: ‘It was my lowest point’: Cassandra Thorburn opens up on marriage breakdown

Meanwhile, it comes after Cassandra candidly opened up on her marriage breakdown.

Last week, Dancing with the Stars contestants were required to choose a song from their most memorable year, with mum-of-three Cassandra picking 2016 — the year she divorced from TV star Karl.

“It was the year I became a single parent, it was my lowest moment, I struggled to leave the house,” the former journalist, who was married to Karl for 21 years, revealed. “My girlfriends were helping me with groceries and all sorts of things.”

However, Cassandra claimed she is now coping really well, adding: “For me, I have found a confidence in myself that I truly believe is okay to have.

“I built up these walls around myself for years because of public scrutiny, media and criticism … and I just sometimes struggle to put those walls down and dancing is helping me do that.”

Cassandra completely transformed on the dance floor on Monday night, to the sounds of Sara Bareilles’ track ‘Brave’, in a flowing yellow dress with a plunging neckline, looking a million dollars with dramatic make-up and her hair slicked back.

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